Railway-switch mechanism.



No. 795,158. PATBNTED JULY 18, 1905. IT. B. NICHOLS. RAILWAY SWITCH M EGHANISM.

Prmouzon FILED Ju. 16. 1905.

NITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY-SWITCH NIECHANISIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent NO. 795,158, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed January I6, 1905. Serial No. 241,359.

To all whom, t may con/carni:

Be it known that I, HENRY B. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of PhiladelphiaJ and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switch Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to railway switch mechanism-that is, the mechanism through which and by which switch points or tongues are moved and held one way or the other in order to alter the track connections from one line of rail to another.

My invention relates particularly to means for rendering the movement of a switchtongue certain, for vinsuring its completion, and for maintaining it in whatever position it is set withoutaccidental displacement due to jarring or the like.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a switch-tongue with a spring-straining device so connected as to be off center in either extreme position of the tongue and to be on center in the intermediate position. Such devices I have constructed and used; but in spite of their successful workingI have found them subject to some serious drawbacks, one of which is the deterioration of the spring in every case after acer-tain length of exposure. The life of any given spring not being accurately determinable, this means that where there are many switches in use some of them are constantly losing their efliciency and giving' trouble. In large traction systems this is a matter to be considered', for if each motorman is compelled to spend only one minute in twenty-four hours adjusting switchtongues which should be in position for him to pass over them without trouble and assuming the company to be operating some three thousand cars in twenty-four hours this means a dead loss of three thousand dollars per annum or its equivalent in efciency.

My present invention does away with springs and all similar devices, employing instead counterbalance-weights, which are positive in action, have a uniform and determinate time constant, and do not deteriorate with any amount of exposure.

More specifically stated, my invention consists in a containing vessel pivoted on trunnions and having a swinging arm interlocking with a similar arm connected to the switchtongue, a movable weight being inclosed in the vessel and by its moving from one side to the other as the vessel is swung on its pivot serving always to maintain the low end against rising by force of gravity only. In brief, my counterbalance comprises a cannonball in a tube running to and fro as the tube swings.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein the ligure is a sectional view of a switch-box on a line transverse to the line of rails.

In the drawing, A is the switch-tongue, which plays in a slot or channel I), formed in the upper face of the main body of the switchpiece. The cavity in the under side of the switch-piece provides for the lever connections with the switch-tongue and at the lower portion of each outer face is provided with ilanoes c', u on which is hun0r the switch-box D. This switch-box is cast in two halves, divided longitudinally, and when the two are put together they assemble from opposite sides of the rail, so that after bolting or riveting, as indicated at u32, the box hangs with its weight dependent upon the iianges c. This I consider an improvement also, as it enables me to dispense with separate supporting means at the same time that it is only rendered possible by the supportof the working parts from the switch-piece C. The box is provided with a suitable drainage-opening Z3 and with an upper hand-hole clp, which lies upon the outside of the rail and is covered by the lid d.

Upon the inner faces of the channel-iron C and spanning the channel I form a web having lugs c2, perforated for bolts c3. Bolted to the lug c2 by means of a cross-flange e is a cast hanger E, having at its lower end an enlarged bearing-head el, connected to the flange e by a vertical stiening flange or web l e. This construction of web and dependent hanger is in duplicate, the two members of a pair being spaced apart sufliciently to admit between them the rocking cylinder F, supported on trunnionsf, journaled in the hangers E. This cylinder is hollow and may conveniently be formed, as shown, of a section of pipe or tubing fitted with end caps fof. Each cap is screwed or forced on so as to be proof against considerable shock, but so as to be readily removable when necessary. In order to avoid excessive shock and wear to the cap, I provide a pad or cushion of lead on its inner side. This is preferably done by fastening the cushion in a hollow in the cap formed for that purpose. It will be noted that the trunnions f are below the center line of the cylinder. Hence the weight of the latter assists above the trunnions in effecting' a more delicate balance.

yWithin the cylinder I inclose a heavy body K, which may be, and conveniently is, a solid shot weighing about seven pounds. This being spherical and of less diameter than its inclosing cylinder rolls freely from end to end of the latter when it is tilted. In order to cushion somewhat the shock due to impact of this ball against the heads or caps and to retard its movement slightly, so that it will be too sluggish to be aected by momentary shocks or jars, I partially fill the cylinder with a liquid mixture L, preferably su-fhcient in quantity to just cover the ball K when in repose. A convenient liquid for this purpose is composed of glycerin and water in varying proportions, this mixture when properly made being unaffected by very low temperatures. This liquid serves two other purposes in that it adds substantially to the weight of the ball K in the lower end of the cylinder and prevents the latter from corroding.

In order to fill the cylinder with liquid, I provide openings f4, of which only one is shown or is absolutely necessary. This opening is ordinarily closed by a tap-plug f2, which may be removed through the handhole 0l and replaced after the liquid has been poured in. f

In order that the device may beset so as to act like the ordinary spring-switch, always holding the switch-tongue in one direction, I provide a stop-pin 7030, having a tap-head f3, which may be screwed into a boss f5, the pin projecting into the path of the ball K and confining the same within one end of the cylinder.

Uprising from the surface of the cylinder F and preferably formed integral therewith is a flanged post or strut f 6, having at its upper end a wrist-pin f7. This pin plays in a slot g in the long arm of thev lever G, pivoted at g and having its upper or shorter arm g2 working in a fork a in the lower end of a droppiece co, forged onto the switch-tongue A.

The operation of my device will be almost sufiiciently apparent from the description. The tongue A is thrown one way or the other by means of the usual motormans iron, and as it moves it carries the fork d and the head g2 with it. This turns the lever Gr, which acting upon the pin f7 swings the cylinder F upon its trunnions, the liquid L, followed by the ball K, alters position, and the endsf of the cylinder are held down by gravity, thereby holding the switch-tongue A over as it was thrown and completing its travel positively in every case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a railway-switch, the combination with the movable switch-tongue of a pivoted lever having' a connection at one end with the tongue and at the other end with a tilting weight adapted to act through the lever upon the tongue to maintain the same in position and means for retarding the movements of the weight.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of a movable switch-tongue, a pivoted weight so arranged that when the tongue is moved one way or the other the weight is shifted past center and thereupon acts to control the further movement of the tongue and means for retarding the movements of the weight.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination with a switch-tongue, of a pivoted weight connected thereto to swing past center as the tongue is moved and thereby control the same and means for retarding the movements of the weight.l

4. In a railway-switch, a rail-support, rail members and aswitch-tongue thereon, ahanger suspended therefrom, a shifting weight pivoted on said hanger and means for retarding the movements of the weight, and a connection between the Weight and the tongue.

5. In a railway-switch, a switch-tongue counterbalance comprising a hollow body, a movable weight therein and means for retarding the movements of the weight.

IOC

IIO

6. In a railway-switch, a switch-tongue counterbalanced weight comprising a hollow cylinder, a rolling weight therein and means 4for retarding the movements of the weight.

7. In a railway-switch, a switch-tongue counterbalance comprising a pivoted hollow cylinder, a spherical weight rolling therein and a body of liquid in said cylinder adapted to retard said weight, and a connection from said cylinder to the switch-tongue.

8. A railway-switch comprising a switchtongue, and a pivoted weight controlling the action of said tongue, comprising a hollow cylinder, a spherical weight movable therein, means to limit the movements of said weight,

and means carried loy said cylinder for cush- In testimony whereof I alx my signature in ioning the blow of the weight. presence of two witnesses.

9. In a railway-switoh, a support, a switoh- HENRY B NICHOLS tongue, a retaining device therefor, and anin- 5 closing casing composed of two parts assem- Witnesses:

bled from opposite sides of the rail and de- WM. S. TWINING,

pendent entirely upon the rail-support. l CLARKE S. TERHUNE. 

